We are staying in the Marais, the 3rd arrondissement, and our plans for the next two days are minimal…just wander around, soak it in, maybe a wine or two?

What the hell is this stuff?

The metro system is wonderful in Paris so we plan to avail ourselves of its charms, and save our legs another pounding.

You can crisscross all over town on the various lines, all colour coded, and a breeze to use.
Last time we were here we did the highlights tour, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, D’Orsay, Napoleon’s tomb, etc etc, so this time just leisurely enjoyment of the sights and sounds of this great city.

The streets are packed with interest, shopfronts interspersed with wooden doors hiding the entrance to apartments above, small gardens dotted around, restaurants, bars, more shops.

People of all shapes, colours and fashion sense, whatever goes, goes….want to wear green paisley socks with orange shoes and rolled up cuffs of a bright blue skinny pant, go for it!

Confidence is all you need and you can wear whatever you want, and they do.
Cars, bikes, scooters all competing with taxis, buses and mopeds for that precious bit of bitumen, the only essential component required….a horn!

Impossibly beautiful buildings, more magnificent church’s, incredible opera houses, hotels, boulevards, statues, gold everywhere.
Something around every corner and plenty between!

Madeleine’s Church.

The Notre Dame from a different angle.

Garnier’s Palais opera house.

Marche des Enfants Rouges, the oldest covered market in Paris

Car dealers on The Champs Élysées.

The incredible roof at Galerie Lafayette

Arguably the best square in Paris, Place des Vosges

Hotel de Sully with its red doors leading out to the cloisters of place des Vosges.

The Arc de Triompe

And yet again. Rachael discovered that the young Chinese girls make the best iphone photographers!

See, told you! 1,2,3 smile!!

Queuing for 20 minutes at Laduree for the worlds most expensive macaroons, insanely busy!

The Ile x 2

The wine.

Paris is so good you could keep coming back here year after year, so we better start saving!